“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So if you’re feeling uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place in your life is a beginning, not an ending.” -Neale Donald Walsch.

This is the antithesis of “being a grown-up” in the conventional understanding of the phrase, which many of us chase: having all the answers, living in stability, comfortably… the modern-day American Dream.

Originally the American Dream concept was born out of lack and a genuine need for security shortly after the Great Depression and WW2. Because jobs were scarce, the greatest aspiration for most Americans was securing steady employment and owning their own home. As a result, work ethic and integrity were very strong. The focus was on a wholesome values system, family and community, all of which created pride, real prosperity and real joy. However, over time the same prosperity which resulted from being a nation of producers, also created a nation of consumers, driven not by need but rather by the desire to ‘keep up with the Jones’s.’

… we’ve been brainwashed to believe that, ‘He with the most toys lives,’ rather than ‘He with the most joys lives.’

… The American Dream as we know it, is no longer something that is born out of need and lack but rather out of greed and desire. Therefore, it does not represent the true spirit of America, which was based on perspiration, innovation, risk and reward with the focus on a wholesome values system, integrity, family, community and a strong work ethic.

This perpetuated notion of “getting one’s shit together” is one that we strive for and stress over. It’s a myth, IMHO.

SO. Be a kid. Play. Get uncomfortable. Make magic.

Maybe in doing so, you’ll become the kind of grown-up you’d be proud to see in the mirror: one that reveled in life.